Bio

University of Bridgeport President Laura Skandera Trombley appointed Louis R. Izzi. Jr., as vice president of enrollment management and athletics on June 10. 2019.  Izzi comes to UB from New England College, where he has served as director of athletics and as a member of the senior leadership team since 2015.  He guided the Pilgrims' athletic program to unprecedented success and growth by establishing a vision of academic and competitive excellence, along with a strong commitment to integrity, sportsmanship and community engagement.

"I'm very excited," Izzi said. "We had great success at New England College the last four years, competitively, academically, in fund-raising, certainly in the community. I look at this as a great opportunity to continue to move the athletics program forward at Bridgeport. The reason why I'm here essentially is to tie athletics recruitment along with admissions recruitment to align both divisions."

Under his leadership, the NEC athletics achieved significant competitive success winning nine conference championships and six NCAA tournament games.  Over the last four years, six teams achieved program records for most wins in a season.  In addition, he implemented the NEC Athletics Day of Giving, which raised over $177,000 in its first two years.  Also, Izzi directed multiple facility renovations, introduced an academic plan that resulted in the highest department-wide grade point average in 20 years and led a recruiting effort that produced the three largest recruiting classes in school history. He also added three new varsity sports during him time at the helm, wrestling in 2016, women's volleyball in 2017 and women's rugby in 2019.  On the staffing side, two new administrative positions and 15 new graduate assistant positions for each sport and athletics communications were added.

Prior to joining New England College, Izzi spent 22 years in administration at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.  In his role as Assistant Athletic Director, he was responsible for compliance, standards, scheduling, and transportation and also served on the President's Athletics Advisory Board and was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) golf sport chair.  

Izzi also coached NCAA Division III college men's ice hockey at Johnson & Wales and Nichols College.  In 14 seasons, he compiled a career record of 203-147-16 (.577).  He was named ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year two times and New England Division III Coach of the Year three times by the New England Hockey Writers Association.  In 2009, Izzi led Nichols College to a school-record 25 wins, and to its first national ranking, conference championship, and NCAA tournament appearance.  Over the course of his coaching career, he recruited and coached six rookies of the year, four All-Americans and a national scoring champion.

A graduate of Providence College with a BA in English, Izzi received his master's degree in Sport Administration from Canisius College.  He currently resides in Hamden, Connecticut.